PreBlast: In Pursuit of a Lower Lactate Threshold

PreBlast: In Pursuit of a Lower Lactate Threshold

Do you want to run faster with less effort in time for Spring race season?  Join us for an 8-week Lactate Threshold training series at F3 Pursuit starting Thursday, March 1st.

I Don’t Even Know What Lactate IS.  Does it come from a cow?

Not exactly.  Your body breaks down glucose for energy and a by-product of this process is lactate, aka lactic acid. During easy running, your body reconverts and recycles this lactic acid back into energy and efficiently expels the waste products. Therefore, the production of lactate will remain relatively constant while running at an easy aerobic pace, which doesn’t require a huge demand for energy.

As you continue to run faster and demand more energy, the production of lactic acid will slowly increase. At some point, whether it be too fast a pace or holding a steady pace for too long, the production of lactic acid will soar exponentially and your body will no longer be able to convert lactate back into energy and expel the waste products. This point is commonly referred to as your lactate threshold. The lactic acid then floods into your system, muscle power is diminished and you begin to slow down. Ultimately, lactic acid is one of the largest contributors to why you slow down as the race goes on.

Explain Lactate Threshold One More Time.  I Zoned Out.

In short, your lactate threshold is defined as the fastest pace you can run without generating more lactic acid than your body can utilize and reconvert back into energy. This pace usually corresponds to 10 mile or half marathon race pace.

Why Should I Care?

By training/running just below your lactate threshold you can begin to improve the pace at which you begin to produce too much lactic acid for your body to manage.

For example, your current threshold might be 9 minutes per mile. This would mean you could run a 10 mile or half marathon race at this pace. As you spend time training at lactate threshold (LT) pace, your body gets stronger, adapts to the increased production of lactic acid, and decreases this threshold pace to, say, 8:30 per mile. Now, since your threshold is lower, you are able to run faster with less effort, which means you can burn fuel more efficiently.

Development of your lactate threshold can be one of the easiest ways to improve your running, both short-term and long-term.

So What About This LT Training Series at Pursuit?

Starting Thursday, March 1st, we will embark on an 8-week LT training series at Pursuit that will progressively increase the amount of time we spend running at LT pace.  Here is the plan:

• Week 1 (Mar 1): 6 x 4 min with 2 min recovery (BackBlast)
• Week 2 (Mar 8): 6 x 5 min with 2 min recovery (BackBlast)
• Week 3 (Mar 15): 6 x 6 min with 2 min recovery
• Week 4 (Mar 22): 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 min ladder with 1 min recovery
• Week 5 (Mar 29): 3 x 10 min with 3 min recovery
• Week 6 (Apr 5): 3 x 12 min with 3 min recovery
• Week 7 (Apr 12): 2 x 20 min with 4 min recovery
• Week 8 (Apr 19): 1 x 40 min

The LT interval pace is somewhere between your 10 mile and half marathon pace.  If you haven’t raced those distances before you can use the Jack Daniels Running Calculator to estimate those paces based on other distances you have run.  Each week we will start with an easy warm up pace and end with a cool down.  In between intervals we will loop back for the 6 and try and keep everyone somewhat together.  This plan is completely optional, so feel free to post at Pursuit even if you want to run a steady pace.  And always bring a headlamp.

I’m Lost.

That’s ok.  Bottom line: dedicate 8 weeks to Pursuit, put in the work, and you will come out the other side running faster with less effort.

Pursuit launches from the Millbridge clubhouse on Thursdays @ 0515: 1401 Millbridge Pkwy, Waxhaw, NC 28173